When the island of Manhattan is shaken up by a series of earthquakes, the incidents get both the attention of Peter Parker, and Hercules. While Peter investigates the incidents through his connections at Empire State University, while Hercules travels the island saving people and trying to reduce the damage.

Through the situation, Spider-Man and Hercules trace it to a group calling themselves the City Stealers, who are hoping to shake loose Manhattan so that they can pull it out to sea and hold it ransom at risk of having the island sunk. Defeating the City Stealer's robots, Hercules then literally pulls the island of Manhattan back to its original location.

The ending of this story is so unbelievable, (that Hercules could pull the the bedrock of Manhattan without severe foundation and structural damages to infrastructure, bridges, etc.) that Marvel editors quickly disavow it as canon. The act that Hercules supposedly accomplishes is acknowledged as another legendary fable of the demi-god. This is explained further in The Incredible Hulk #241 (November 1979).